Killing Tessa
by DancingStar01
Summary: Lindsay Donner moves into her new apartment and gets to know her new neighbor.  On a date they become witnesses of a murder.


Title: Killing Tessa  
Author: Dancing Star  
Pair: Doyle / Donner  
Rating: 16?  
Spoiler: None  
Category: Romance / Crime  
Content: Lindsay Donner moves into her new apartment and gets to know her new neighbor. On a date they become witnesses of a murder.  
Notes: Again one of my PSI Factor FanFictions where nobody works with the OSIR (Well, not one of the best stories). By the way, greetings to New Zealand! I couldn´t answer to your review but I want to say THANK YOU! for your offer! 

**Killing Tessa **

Lindsay Donner set of to her new apartment with a piece of chocolate cake. She moved in yesterday and all the boxes in her new apartment on the eighth floor of a nice apartment building cried literally for being unpacked. She loved her new apartment: it was closer to her work, so she could sleep half an hour longer in the morning and she would need her car only for shopping. The house was quiet, because in it there were only two apartments on each floor. With nine floors there were eighteen tenants. A few had children, Mrs. Caulfield from the ground floor, however, was very old. Some neighbors she hadn´t met until now because so far she only had a look at the apartment. The people from the moving company had brought the furniture yesterday, so she would have to unpack. Only a few boxes were still in her car.  
Lindsay wondered where she should hang up this magical picture of a white water lily what her colleagues had given her to move, when she suddenly was running into a man with her cake in her hand.  
"My shirt!", complained the dark-haired man who now had a large brown stain on his chest, "Can´t you watch where you traipse with your cake?"  
"Sorry! I'm terribly sorry, but…." Damned! Once when Lindsay took a piece of cake from the bakery and wanted to eat it, she ran against a total stranger and the cake landed on his shirt. The man complained weird that he came too late to work today and now he had to go back to his apartment again for a change. Lindsay tried to apologize, but he was so angry and he ran away...

The next day, Lindsay had cleaned up her belongings in the apartment, the furniture was perfect and even the picture with the water lily had found a place. Only a few details lacked. Luckily, she had the day off so she could spend the whole day to give her home the finishing touches. She went into the garage of the house to pick up the last box out of her car, to get her drinking glasses. She left her flat, locked the apartment door behind her and was shocked. "You!", Lindsay asked incredulously. The man whose shirt she had ruined with a chocolate cake yesterday came out of the apartment next door.  
The man looked at her and grinned, "Will you throw pie´s after me again?"  
Irritated and annoyed, she shook her head and went down the stairs. He remained here, because he obviously had forgotten something in his apartment.  
Lindsay picked up the heavy box out of her car, she went out of the garage and because the house had no direct access to the garage yet, she had to go around the building. She had climbed up the stairs to the main entrance, when suddenly someone opened the door from the inside, cracked it on the box and all jars felt loudly clanking to the ground.  
"My jars!" Lindsay cried in horror, knelt beside the box and picked up some broken glass, "all my gars were in the box!"  
"I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry." She recognized the voice! It was one of her new neighbors.  
"Hey, can you tell me, from which should I drink now?"  
"Cups." Once again he was in a hurry. Connor Doyle sprinted to the other side of the street, where his best friend Peter was waiting for him. He had watched the scene and saw how Lindsay picked up the pieces from the ground. "What was that?", asked Peter.  
"What? You should rather ask who", Connor grumbled, when he bought a newspaper at the newsstand, "She is my new neighbor. She moved in a few days ago."  
"THIS is your neighbor? She looks really good", said Peter, "She looks like Heidi Klum a bit."  
Peter and Connor were friends since school, their families lived next door. During college, they hadn´t seen each other for a long time, but because her parents insisted they came home for Christmas at least, there were a few days a year in which they met. They talked about college, about women and when they had finished school, both moved randomly in the same city. Peter was a police officer, Connor was professor at the university. They were best friends even today.  
"If you mean," Connor still sounded very annoyed and when Peter asked him what was wrong, he told him the chocolate cake story. Then Peter knew even less: He laughed amused but told Connor, that he (if he would have been in the situation) would ask such a pretty woman for a coffee as apology.  
"Peter, I really have no time for..."  
Peter already knew that excuse. Connor was married to his job, but Peter´s point of view was there had to be something else in life. When Peter told him, he should take him as an example, Connor would say it wasn´t his style to date every woman in the world. The woman of his dreams had to be something special. She had to be intelligent, humorous and affectionate, she had to endure his lousy cooking skills and love animals and if she would be beautiful, he would not mind.  
Peter knew even this phrase. He had heard it a hundred times before. "Then you should start with learning how to treat a woman. I could even see from a hundred feet away that you weren´t particularly friendly to your new neighbor."

Connor did not like the thought but Peter was right: He wasn´t particularly friendly to his neighbor. So he decided to apologize.  
In the evening, the doorbell rang at Lindsay's apartment and she put down the cup from which she drank, to the many magazines on the table. Before she went to the door, she turned the TV off. She opened the door and was surprised who the late visit was: In front of her was her new neighbor with a box in his hand.  
"Hi, Lindsay," he said, "I haven´t introduced myself until now. I'm Connor."  
For a moment she wondered why he knew her name, but her door sign said without saying. "Yes, your name is on your door, too. What's in the box?"  
"Jars. After I broke yours I bought new."  
"Thanks, that's very friendly," she took the box and looked at him intently. He seemed to be very nice (and she thought he looked attractive), but just the fact that he was very angry with her yesterday because of a shirt and today because of a box of glasses made her suspicious. Maybe Lindsay wouldn´t have been amused if she were in his situation... Why was he still here? He had nothing better to do?  
"Can I come in?"  
"No," she cried in horror, but not because, she did not accept his apology, but because in her floor where countless new shoe boxes and on her kitchen table were many fashion magazines and some product samples, which she was allowed to try. What should he think of her?  
"Have a nice evening", she said and kicked the door shut behind him. Then she hated herself for it: After all, he had come to apologize and she had the feeling he really meant it seriously. And she didn´t want to talk to him... Poor guy! Now she would have to apologize to him ...

For the next evening Lindsay invited her best friend Mia in her new apartment. The two had known each other for years and they´re working in the same company. Lindsay had taken care of Mia´s job after Mia was kicked out at People´s Magazine. Since then, Mia is working for EVA, one of the leading women's magazines in country.  
Lindsay had already unpacked all things and to celebrate the new apartment, she wanted to eat pizza. Her best friend wasn´t very enthusiastically about that.. "Why are we sitting here?", said Mia, "Around the corner a new club has opened..." Instead they sat in Lindsay's home and bake pizza.  
"I didn´t move to this house, because a new club has opened here," said Lindsay, "I moved here because it´s so close to the office... Through the move I have to care for my money."  
"Then you can only hope you will get the job as an assistant manager and earn more", Mia accepted a glass. Her boss was looking for a new assistant and Mia knew that Lindsay had applied to this job. Hopefully it won´t be long until they tell Lindsay, if she got the job or not.  
"Is it champagne? Why do you serve it in a glass of lemonade?"  
"Ask my neighbor. The man who lives next door broke all of my jars. Last night he stood with a box of jars at my door. He has bought it as apology. But unfortunately he hasn´t thought of champagne glasses", said Lindsay.  
Mia did not know why she went to the door and looked through the peephole while Lindsay was talking.  
"Your new neighbor looks really sweet," said Mia, she probably came just at the right time and she watched Connor, who left his apartment.  
"You think so?", said Lindsay gruffly, who rolled out the pizza on a baking sheet.  
"He doesn´t look like the Phantom of the Opera", Mia still peered through the peephole, "Where does he go at this time?"  
"I don´t care."  
"Really?"  
"Really!"  
Mia looked over her shoulder and then back through the peephole. "I wonder who the pretty red-haired woman is, who just picks him up..."  
"Honestly?" Immediately she threw away the rolling pin and Lindsay pushed Mia away from peephole. How she found out there was no pretty red-haired woman: Connor was alone in front of his door and searched in his jacket pocket for the car keys.  
"Gotcha," Mia whispered and grinned revealing, "You shouldn´t sit here with me and eat pizza, but with him."  
"Listen, I have no time for ..."  
"Lindsay, you NEVER have time. But if you don´t want him to ask, let me do this." Mia took the doorknob in her hand and could hear how Lindsay called her name in horror, but Mia had already left the apartment. "Hi," she said to Connor at the staircase and he returned the greeting.  
"I'm Mia, Lindsay's best friend ... Look, this may sounds a little bit weird, but ... Lindsay wants to go out with you," said Mia and Lindsay behind the door, put her hands into her sides.  
"Really?", Connor found that didn´t sound like his neighbor and Mia was right: It sounded weird. "Why are you asking me for her?"  
"She's a little bit shy."  
Lindsay, who was standing behind the door, pressed her teeth together firmly. She was so angry... About herself, because she did not dare to ask Connor for a date. What, if he was going to say to Mia he was not interested in her? Oh God, that was so embarrassing! She would have to move out straightaway!  
"Tell her I'll pick her up on Tuesday at eight p.m.," Connor said, instead, "Excuse me, I have to go. One of my colleagues is now retired and invited everybody for dinner." Connor went away and Mia entered her best friend´s apartment satisfied. "And?", asked Lindsay.  
"He picks you up on Tuesday at eight p.m. He doesn´t need your address. I had the feeling he knows where you live."  
"All right, I go out with him. But you call me at nine p.m. If our date is boring, then I have an excuse to leave early."  
"That won´t happen", Mia was sure.

The following Tuesday at seven p.m. Lindsay stood helplessly in front of her closet, wondering frantically what to wear. She had just showered, got her hair gone and now she was looking for the perfect outfit. After ten minutes, a mountain of clothes piled on her bed and she decided to wear a pretty purple dress and a black jacket.  
If she wasn´t in the mood for going out with Connor, why she tried so hard to look good? Lindsay did not know. After she got dressed, she painted quite easily and was barely ready in time, when the doorbell rang.  
"Hi," Connor said to her, "You look great."  
Lindsay thanked him, but thpught that was one of his standard sentences when he dated a woman. Together they went down in his car and drove to a restaurant. Because it was warm today, Connor suggested sitting in the restaurant ´s garden and they got a nice table at the small fountain, which was there. The atmosphere was very romantic and Lindsay found this was a bit too private for their first date. While they waited for their food they were talking about different things. They talked about their hobbies, their homes, their school time and Lindsay found out it was very pleasant to talk to Connor. She felt very comfortable with him and had to admit she had never expected this. Sometimes first impressions could be false...  
After almost an hour she apologized and left to the toilet. There she turned off her mobile phone. Actually, she waited for Mia´s call, but she was convinced she would not need this. Connor proved to be a very interesting man and she went back to the table. Connor and Lindsay stayed another hour sitting in the restaurant then they set of. He drove home again.  
In front of their doors Connor said, the evening was too early to finish the date. So he told her he had forgotten to buy her wine glasses. But he had some. Coincidentally, he had a bottle of wine, so…  
He probably thought he could twist every woman around his little finger with that. Lindsay was leaning in her doorway. Connor looked at her bewildered and asked if everything was all right. She nodded and doubted for a moment if she should come in and follow his invitation, then she went past him and entered his apartment. His apartment was a bit bigger than hers and she could see he even had a balcony what could be accessed from the living room. For a balcony, Lindsay´s money didn´t last but maybe it was a good thing. Otherwise, she would have to move to another floor and then she and Connor would not live next door.  
It was beautiful here, she found. His apartment was decorated very friendly, she felt right at home. Because it was still warm outside, the windows were tilted. They sat on the couch and Connor got the wine. He apologized again, that he broke all her glasses. She told him it doesn´t matter after he had already invited her to dinner. Lindsay was curious and wanted to know a bit more about her neighbor. She wanted to continue this pleasant conversation. "What is your regular occupation?", she asked, leaning her chin in her palm.  
"Nothing exciting ..." Connor was sitting beside her on the couch, leaned back and looked thoughtfully at the ceiling.  
"Let me guess, you are an... architect."  
"No."  
"Medical Doctor."  
"No."  
"Lawyer?"  
"No", he shook his head, "But if you're interested: I work at the university. And you?"  
"I work at EVA, this women's magazine, still in the editorial office. But I applied as a management assistant."  
Connor looked at her and explained he had never seen a woman who worked at a fashion magazine, but loves to eat chocolate cake. She laughed. "This is not a fashion magazine!" Both talked long about their jobs while they drank wine together. Connor suddenly asked her a very uncomfortable question: "Do you have a boyfriend?"  
"No," she shook her head, "My last boyfriend was a computer technician. When he got a better job offer in Japan and he had to decide between Tokyo and me... Well, the decision wasn´t positive for me…. This is a long time ago."  
Connor nodded understandingly. He didn´t want to say he was sorry for that because that would be a lie. He thought about what Peter had said about her and he noticed she was truly very pretty. What he had said to her after his welcome was not a lie. He watched as her face blazed, as she told him she had lived previously in an apartment at the other end of town. Oh God, he had fallen in...? No, that was impossible!  
It was nearly midnight and because they both had to get up tomorrow morning and had to work, they decided to say goodbye for today. Connor wanted to take her to the door, they got up together. Almost by chance, she looked out the window when she heard from the house across a scream. "Did you hear that?", asked Lindsay and they both stepped toward the window. They searched the source of the cry. And then they saw, how a blonde woman was thrown on the ground by a strongly-built, bald-headed man on the seventh floor. The woman lay there and did not move.  
Suddenly, she was ice cold. "Who is that?"  
"This is Tessa. She was dating Peter for a while."  
"And who is the man?"  
"I don´t know!" Connor also noted that there is something utterly wrong. He went to his desk and grabbed his camera. If they had become witness to a murder, this would definitely help the police. So he took some photos and he was lucky: the presumed perpetrators would be on every picture.  
"You get the picture?", asked Lindsay and he nodded. He proposed to call his best friend, who worked for the police and she agreed. She looked down again to Tessa's apartment and again she was cold. The bald-headed man stared for a moment with a gloomy look up to them. Reflexively Lindsay ducked and took Connor with her.  
"Do you think he saw us?", she asked. They still had to crouch.  
"The light in my apartment was on so I'm assuming that he saw us."  
Oh God, with this incident the evening was out of control! She had only planned to spend a nice date with her neighbor, and then that! Lindsay thought about how a stranger burgled in her apartment tonight and would kill her in her sleep because she was a witness to this murder.  
She decided to go home now and arranged by text message to meet Mia tomorrow morning in front of their favorite Café.

Like every morning Mia was waiting at her favorite Café for Lindsay. Mostly they came here for a coffee or Lindsay bought biscuits before they went to work. Like on that fateful day when she met Connor.  
Lindsay was delayed a bit today, but then she showed up. "Well, how was your date?, Mia asked first, as she went inside and fetched coffee.  
"It was very nice," Lindsay began and paid her cake, "Connor is a very nice and interesting man."  
"You think he´s just nice and interesting? ... What´s his job?"  
"He said he´s a professor at the university."  
"So he´s boring... What a bummer!", Mia was disappointed, "I was sure you're meant for each other." She noted how her best friend rolled amused with eyes and Lindsay said his job doesn´t matter. She also found Connor not a bit boring.  
Together they left the store. "I had my phone off last night by the way."  
"What do you mean?" Too late Mia remembered of her special mission and Lindsay noticed it immediately.  
"You mean, you haven´t called?"  
Mia nodded and Lindsay stopped. "What, if it turned out he is crazy mass murderer? You would let me date someone like that?"  
"Of course not," said Mia, and pushed her further (The killer was probably also in the next house), "But he's not a crazy mass murderer and the way you look, the date seemed to be very nice. So what did you do? Now tell me!", Mia seemed to have hit the mark, because Lindsay blushed a bit.  
"We had dinner ... Then we decided to drink a glass of wine at his place."  
"And then?"  
"Nothing. We haven´t even kissed." Except for the murder next door, the evening wasn´t even more significant, thought Lindsay ironically.  
"Too bad. So I should wait until I´m planning your honeymoon to Las Vegas or to the Niagara Falls?"  
Lindsay laughed. "You know a clever remark for everything, huh?" A little bit happier than usual, they set of to work today.

"Here you are," Peter said to Connor when he visited him at work next morning, "I tried to reach you yesterday, where have you been?" Peter had called him to ask if he wanted to come to gym, but unfortunately Connor was not home.  
"I was out with my neighbor."  
"With Heidi?", Peter asked incredulously, "A few days ago you could not abide her."  
"Her name isn´t Heidi. Her name is Lindsay... And she's very nice, intelligent, humorous, pretty, attractive and..."  
"All right, I've understood. You have a crush on your neighbor."  
"I haven´t," he sat in Peter's office chair, "I think she´s nice... After dinner we had a glass of wine and talked a lot."  
"What?", Asked Peter, "You came here to tell me all this?"  
Connor shook his head and looked for his camera. Then he found it in his right pocket. "Lindsay and I observed a strange thing at the house next door yesterday evening and she believes it was a murder. We even took some pictures." He gave his best friend a digital camera and Peter looked at the pictures. "This is Tessa!" Peter recognized his ex-girlfriend straightaway, "But for me the pictures aren´t showing a murder ..."  
"Peter, that's clear ..."  
"Not for me." He sat on his desk.  
"If you do not believe me can you find out something about this man for me?"  
Peter looked at him. This was not Connors style to sniff around in other people´s lives. This has something to do with Lindsay for sure.  
"Man, she turned your head," he said, but then he became serious, "Listen: It's nice that you... So that you are friends now. But I think you both are imagining something. You said you drank alcohol…."  
Connor looked horrified because he did not expect his friend was thinking this about him. Then Peter said: "If you care so much, I try to find information about this man."

They did not know whether it was intentional or accidental, but they met in the next two weeks almost every day: They first met while walking in the park, while buying food and in the morning they left their apartments at the same time and walked together down the stairs before Lindsay went with Mia and Connor with Peter to work. Then they met at Joseph's Pizza and found out they both liked Italian food. Then they arranged one evening at Lindsay´s apartment, who claimed her pizza was even better pizza than Joseph´s.  
Connor could not believe it: He and Lindsay lived long in these city but they never met before Lindsay´s move. Presumably this was because she previously lived at the other end of town, he thought. Even if they had met he would have noticed her...  
As they realized more and more they got along very well with each other they were waiting for Peter´s information about Tessa's murderer. Actually, Connor could not believe that he let himself get carried away by this topic. The reason in him said it was something that should be left to the police. But Peter didn´t believe him.  
On a Wednesday evening Connor noticed, how Lindsay came home from work angry and slammed the door behind her. Connor had heard the bang and knocked at her door. "Hi," he said as she opened the door, "What happened?"  
"Is it that obvious?", she asked and wiped her nose. Her mascara was running a little and her eyes were red. Probably she had cried during the drive home from work to home.  
Connor nodded and she let him enter. "Today, my boss told me I don´t get the job as executive assistant", she explained, "Instead, Tamara received the job." They sat down together on the couch and Lindsay stared straight ahead. Connor was sorry that she didn´t get the job, she had wished for. And he could not bear to see her so sad. Finally he got up and reached out his hand for her. "Come on, get your jacket. We are going out."  
She did not know what he was planning, but she obeyed and got her jacket. With Connors car they drove off and he parked in downtown in the cinema´s parking garage. He paid for two tickets at the box office. As it turned out, he had picked out a scary movie: It was about a haunted lighthouse were murder happened. Lindsay wanted to see this movie for a long time, but dared not alone. Now she was here with him and clung on his arm in the darkness of the cinema.  
She was very grateful. He was... She began to think about. Connor was fantastic.  
After the movie they went to a bar for a drink and she insisted on inviting him this time. Then they set of back to his car, which was still in the car park next to the cinema and drove home. There, Connor turned off the car in the garage.  
As they walked to the door, Lindsay thanked him for cheering her up. "This was a very nice evening," she told him and smiled at him. On their way they had to pass the entrance of the house next door. The house, in which Tessa had lived.  
The door swung open and a bald, burly man left the house. Connor and Lindsay had seen him only in the corner of their eyes. "Hey, you!", the man cried for them, they turned around and now they were cold. They recognized him: It was Tessa's murderer.  
Connor grabbed Lindsay's hand and started running as fast as she could. They heard the steps of her pursuer clearly on the asphalt. Connor turned right into a side street and pulled Lindsay with him. The street lead to the backyard. It was a large garden, used by all residents. As far as Connor knew Peter had been on a barbecue once with Tessa in the garden. He pressed himself in the shadow of the side street to the cold concrete wall and held Lindsay in his arms. Her lungs ached from running and her pulse was racing out of fear that their persecutors might discover them at any moment.  
"Don´t move," Connor whispered to her and put his hands reassuringly on her shoulders. Her pulse beat faster and faster. Maybe it was fear, maybe it was the fact that Connor held her so close. Lindsay gasped when she saw how the bald man past the side street and was always looking after them. Fortunately, he could not find them and he disappeared.  
After this incident, they rushed to get home and they discussed in the stairwell, what to do. For Lindsay, it was clear they had to speak as quickly as possible with Peter once again and now Connor was also enthusiastic about this idea. He proposed to meet tomorrow in front of the police station.

Mia came into her best friend´s office, she welcomed and Lindsay grumbled back. Their mood had improved a little since the date with Connor (it was so cute how he tried to cheer her up) and of course she knew it was not Mia's fault that she did not get the job. Nevertheless, she decided to show her displeasure.  
As Mia noted, Lindsay was just looking at the pictures for an article in the next issue.  
"Are you still mad because you haven´t got the job?", She asked and as Lindsay said nothing she sees this as a yes, "I saw a new Givenchy dress in our dress fund. Take it. You would look great in it…"  
"Thanks," Lindsay was still focused on her work (that she took a dress was surely the least!), "I just want to finish quickly then I´ll take a look at the dress. If the dress fits me, I know what I wear when I go out with Connor again."  
She smiled dreamily as she thought about Connor and their date after work.  
"You won´t stay here", said Mia, who saw Lindsay grapping her purse.  
"I have a date with Connor ... Tell our boss I'm leaving a bit earlier today, okay?"  
"But Kate Winslet is on the cover of next issue and she´s here for the shooting tonight."  
"I know," Lindsay said to her and remained in the doorway, "But I have a date. See you." She went out, picked up the dress in the dress fund, left the building, took into a taxi and drove to the police station, where Connor was waiting for her. Because it was raining, he had an umbrella. The taxi slowed down, she got out. "Hello," she cried and came to him under the umbrella.  
"Why did it take so long?"  
She showed him a donut box. She had bought it on the way. "I hope it´s worth to talk to Peter. I whizzed Kate Winslet for it", she smiled at Connor.  
Together they entered the police station and visited Peter in his office. Although he was a policeman, he was unfortunately only responsible for paperwork. She handed him the cardboard box.  
"Donuts?", asked Peter, looking at her, "Is this an allusion to the stereotype that all cops like donuts?" Now he took off the pink box, "Well, let´s say at least this is right." Peter checked the contents. Then he sat on his chair. "You are determined here because you want to know who the man in Tessa's apartment was", he surmised and both nodded. They watched as Peter reached for a folder: "His name is Fabio Mendes. He lives here since 1978, is a native of Italy and rumors are, he links with the Mafia ... What never could be proved."  
Lindsay rolled her eyes. This keeps getting better! But why had the man killed Tessa? She asked that question to Peter.  
"I cannot imagine, he ...", annoyed he placed his coffee cup on the table, "After Connor was here two weeks ago, I have arranged a patrol to analyze Tessa's apartment. There were no indications for a fight... or traces of blood... Or a body. I'm sorry."  
"Yes, me too. But I know what I've seen", with these words Lindsay went out and Connor looked to his best friend for help. Then he decided he had to follow Lindsay. He followed her out of the Department and outside, they took a taxi. "I'm sorry Peter hasn´t found out more about the suspect," said Connor and Lindsay said it was not his fault. "Would you like to go out with me tonight?", he asked. He just liked being with her. And Lindsay liked it when he wanted to cheer her up. So she agreed. After all, she still had a Givenchy dress in her bag, which formally pleaded that she was wearing it.

Connor took Lindsay out for dancing this time. She had a lot of fun and she liked to be with him, but because they both had to work early tomorrow, they could not stay long. On the way home Connor excused again, Peter had not found enough or no evidence for the murder of Tessa. "All right," she looked at Connor and at that moment a dark shadow next to the entrance of the house next door caught her attention. The shadow came under a street lamp and Lindsay recognized the man.  
"Isn´t it the guy from Tessa's home?", she asked and watched as the man threw something in the huge dumpster. Because tomorrow the garbage would be collected, the containers were already in front of the buildings tonight. The man disposed something what looked like a thick, long roll.  
"Come, let´s see what it is," she whispered. As soon as the stranger had disappeared into the darkness, Lindsay went to the rusty brown container and peered inside. Besides from some broken furniture, a rolled up old carpet was in the container. She climbed up a little wall and so then the edge of the container. Inside, she unrolled the rug. Connor should stay outside and keep cave.  
"I've never dated a woman who had analyzed other people's garbage," said Connor.  
Lindsay smiled. "There is always a first time. In addition it is not rubbish, it´s bulky waste." She just hoped the dress would survive. She did not know what to say when she brought back a torn designer dress.  
"You found anything?", Connor asked suddenly and Lindsay raised her head.  
"No," she said, "The carpet which he threw away was unfortunately empty." She had expected he was hiding a corpse in it. Disappointed, she sat up and tried again to climb over the edge. "Connor, help me."  
She sat in her expensive dress on the edge of the container and he grabbed her waist. When he wanted to raise her to the floor so she hadn´t to jump, they tipped over and when Lindsay was almost as back on her feet, Connor held her firmly in his arms because he did not want her to fall.  
"Thanks," she smiled sweetly at him and he did not dare to let her go. The moment was magical and for a split second, she wondered if she should kiss him. "Let's go," she said instead, and they went to the house where they lived and then they went upstairs. They said goodbye in front of their doors to each other. He fumbled in his pocket for his key aimlessly. "Have you already bought wine glasses?", he wanted to know.  
"No. Why do you ask?"  
"You know, I still got a little wine from our first date and maybe we should drink together. Alone I can´t do that."  
"Is that an invitation?"  
"If you want ..." He had not expected that she nodded and a little later they sat on his balcony and finished bottle of wine. Lindsay thanked him as he poured her a glass and after they launched, she pointed to the telescope, which stood on the balcony. She wanted to ask when she for was the first time in his apartment, but then she had forgotten. "What do you do with the telescope out here? You observe the neighbors?", she giggled and Connor laughed a little bit shocked: "No."  
"Fine," she took a sip and slid a little closer to him, "I thought I need to be relieved I don´t live in the opposite house... What else are you doing with your telescope?"  
"I watch the stars and the moon. Sometimes I even can see Mars. But for the outer planets, it is not strong enough ... It was a gift, because as a child I always wanted to be an astronaut. That´s why my parents bought this telescope one day..." while he talked, she watched him fascinated, " ...Although I haven´t much time now to watch the planets I haven´t the heart to throw it away or sell it." Now Connor also noted how she looked at him and he had to know if he had said something wrong.  
"No," Lindsay said with a smile, "I was just listening." She blushed, because he had caught her.  
"Do you flirt with me?"  
Again he had caught her and she did not know what to say.  
"If so, would not that bad. I would probably flirt with you, too. I guess I have a crush on you."  
Thousand thoughts crossed her mind and if she dared to move now, she was afraid that this beautiful moment was ruined. Connor looked so deeply into her eyes that she almost believed she could look to the bottom of his soul. Nervousness grew up in her and they simultaneously got up from the furniture on which they were sitting. Connor was so close to her. He was only a few inches away from and the touch of his hands, which laid gently on her neck, drove her crazy. This moment took almost forever and Lindsay asked how long he wanted to torment her with his touch. Finally, she finished the last distance between them and kissed him intimately. She moaned softly as he returned the kiss, her temperature rose and her heart ached and danced at the same time in longing for him.  
Lindsay had no idea how they had come to his apartment and into his bedroom, but when he took off her dress, threw it carelessly on the flour and drop her onto the bed, the alarm bells in her head rang. They had known each other a little more than two weeks. Was she willing to do this? On the other hand, he had just told her that he had fallen in love with her, but what if it was just a mean to an end?  
One more kiss by him and her heart melted away. He kissed her neck, her shoulders as she tenderly petted his back. She was breathing irregularly and moaned as he placed his mouth on hers. Connor put his hands on her waist, petting her soft skin and she wrapped her legs around him. Her heart said yes, but her head was not sure at the moment. After all, her colleagues on the editorial board tried to explain issue by issue that the flirting between men and woman based on purely biology, why men don´t call back after a hot night and... She had read in another journal men use the act only to satisfy themselves and she wondered if she had just come in such a situation. For her something more is needed. It should happen out of love ... Thoughts circled in Lindsay´s head.  
"Connor, we shouldn´t...", she began and he gently shut her mouth with his fingers.  
"I know what you´re thinking and you know it is not true," he kissed her deeply to prove her he was damn serious, because Connor Doyle didn´t sleep with a woman if he did not love her. He noticed that she felt unwell.  
"...You're right, we shouldn´t do it", he said suddenly. Connor was based on his mattress and sat up. "Wait," she had no idea what persuaded her to stop him. She was in love with him, she thought. He smiled at her, kissed her almost questioning and after he had undressed her and himself, he murmured tenderly in her ear, she should relax and enjoy it. Lindsay nodded in agreement. She trusted him, loved him and she enjoyed the night with him.  
At the very least, the neighbors could not complain about loud noises in the night. His neighbor was the most wonderful woman in the world. By chance she was also with him…

_We're caught in a moment _  
_And I will not let it go _  
_I am falling deeper, losing my control _  
_Involved in a feeling _  
_Like the blink of a eye _  
_And the silence it belongs to you and I _(The Sugababes with "Caught in a Moment")

Next morning she was still sleeping in his arms. He had wrapped his arms around her waist and the sun warmed them. Her hair had spread on his pillow like a halo and she felt his breath on her neck. Slowly, she opened her eyes and realized where she was. The sun blinded her and her eyelids felt heavy. She and Connor were up long last night. Until the early morning hours, they loved each other devotedly until he fell asleep exhausted. She smiled as she thought about it. It was a wonderful night ...  
Lindsay glanced at the clock and was shocked: The clock showed 7:30 a.m. In half an hour she had to be at work. She carefully shook off Connors arms and heard him muttering her name. She leaned toward him, kissed him lovingly and handed him a pillow in her arms. "See you tonight," she told him. Then she picked up her clothes, got dressed and went to her apartment to get refreshed quickly.

They had arranged by telephone and Connor picked her up at home in time. Lindsay told him what had happened today in the office and asked what he wanted to do today. As it turned out, he choose a pretty, Greek restaurant. She was happy to be with him again and so they sat down at a table where they were relatively undisturbed. They were finally alone, they began to kiss lightly and Lindsay told him how happy she was with him and how much she had missed him today. "I also have something to say and I should have told you already yesterday", she said and Connor seemed to be curious about what it was, "I think I've fallen in love with you, too."  
"It makes a lot of things easier," he smiled and took her hand in his, "So you allow me to ask, what´s your plan for the weekend?"  
Lindsay thought for a moment. Of course, she had plans: She was wanted to sleep late in the morning, she wanted to wake up in his bed, having breakfast with him and spend the weekend together.  
"It would please you," she said finally, smiling at him again, bending over the table to kiss him. A waitress suddenly cleared his throat next to them and asked them if they already knew what they wanted to eat. Connor ordered for both.  
After they had eaten they got up. The evening was very nice and warm and they could walk for a while. Connor helped her in her jacket, as Lindsay discovered a very pretty blond woman in a black evening dress at a table. At her side sat a dark-haired man, wearing an expensive-looking suit. The woman looked familiar. Wasn´t that...? "Connor, look! There's Tessa! She's not dead!", Lindsay said, pointing to her. All the people in the restaurant turned to her and looked at the blond woman in black dress. Tessa immediately jumped up from her chair and began to run. The man also got up and watched to the muscular guys who were sitting at the next table.  
"Grab them," he told them, the three men got up and Lindsay's eyes widened for a moment, as they came in their direction.  
"Lindsay!", Connor took her hand, opened the restaurant´s door and hurried out with her. Again and again she looked around, the men searched in their pockets and Lindsay saw for what they were searching: For their weapons. She and Connor ran as fast as they could to the car and Lindsay's feet hurt terribly. Why she had to wear these high heels?  
When they reached the car, Connor started immediately the engine. The car sped out of the parking garage and along the road. "What was that?", she asked breathlessly, trying to calm down, "This isn´t my imagination of a perfect weekend."  
"I know," agreed Connor. He ignored a stop sign and drove down a road which was bordered on every side with trees.  
"Where are we going?"  
"To Peter. I have the feeling we are safer there than at home."

Peter had a terrible day and this time he wanted to sleep. But the visit which tapped impatiently at his door prevented him from sleeping. "What's going on?", he asked tired as he saw Connor and Lindsay. They entered his apartment and told him what had happened in the restaurant. They told him Tessa hadn´t been with Fabio Mendes, but with another man. Connor suggested that Peter knew anything about it.  
"No, I don´t know anything!", claimed Peter. Now someone else knocked at his kitchen window! Peter lived in the fifth floor of an old house. He had no balcony. He had only the old fire escape. He opened the window and helped surprised a blonde an evening dress to enter his apartment, "Thank God, you're at home," she said, "I'm came as fast as I could by motorcycle."  
"So you know something!", suspected Connor and the woman looked up.  
"You?", she asked in horror, "What are you doing here?"  
"We are Peter's friends. And what are you doing here?"  
Tessa was looking desperately for an explanation. But she found another topic. "Thanks to you my cover is blown!", Tessa sounded angry, "The CIA is casing Fabio Mendes for years. The guy in the restaurant is his biggest competitor and I planned to arrest Mendes if..."  
Connor looked at his best friend, "Did you know that?"  
Peter shook his head annoyed and rolled his eyes.  
"Are you telling me you were out with Tessa and did not realize she works for the CIA?", Connor complained to him. "Leave him alone, he really knew nothing about it," said Tessa.  
"Why have you acted as Fabio Mendes would you kill?", asked Lindsay and Tessa summarized her hair in a pony tail. "I acted like an arms dealer," said Tessa, "He must have noticed that something is wrong, so he attacked me that night in my apartment." While Tessa was telling, Peter was looking angrily and worried at the same time. "I had a safety vest and therefore I recovered quickly from my injuries after he thought he had disposed my body in the organic waste."  
Lindsay listened to her and went restlessly through the apartment. "What are we doing now?", She had no idea how to get rid of a Mafia Boss.  
"You have to leave the city," said Tessa, "You saw me with Salvatore in the restaurant and you are in danger."  
For some reason, Connor nodded in agreement. He proposed to drive off. He had no idea where they could hide. "Don´t drive back home," Tessa told them and she and Peter escorted Connor and Lindsay down.  
"Do you think I should disappear, too?", asked Peter in the stairwell. He grabbed the doorknob and when they left the house, they ran into the arms of Fabio Mendes and his henchmen. Startled, Tessa gasped. "Fabio?", she asked and the bald-headed man laughed.  
"Dear Tessa," he grinned maliciously, "You are a great actress... But did you know Salvatore Gergori is my half brother? When he told me about a beautiful blonde pretty arms dealer, I knew it was you. From then on we decided we must connive..."  
Salvatore appeared and Tessa swallowed. She and her friends looked straight into the barrels of at least fifteen guns. Not just the men of Fabio Mendes, but also Salvatore had it in for Tessa.  
Lindsay suggested they would now probably miss them cement shoes. Would Mia look for her when she doesn´t appear at work on Monday? Oh God, they would die and ...  
A column of police cars with sirens came around the corner. The weighing braked in front of them and police officers got out. Fabio and Salvatore were clearly outnumbered and beaten. They raised their hands and had to drop their weapons. While the men were led away, Connor held his girlfriend comforting in his arms. They were relieved it was finally over. Peter watched grimly how Tessa talked to some of his colleagues. Then Peter saw his boss. "Sir?" Peter asked, confused.  
"Peter", he handed his employee's hand, "Nice to see you. After we found out you dated a CIA agent and what was her job, we begun to monitor you."  
"Fortunately," Lindsay thought aloud. She and Connor had to explain to the police how and why they were involved in the case. Truthfully, they began their story on the evening when they had observed Tessa´s "murder". After recording they could leave. They drove home in silence and also in the dark staircase they spoke not a word to each other. They began to talk when she put her key in the door: "I really thought for one second we would die." Suddenly everything went so fast and she was glad the police arrived in time.  
"Yes, I thought the same," agreed Connor to her, "Hey Lindsay, I've been thinking ..."  
She was cold because she had heard this sentence before and then her ex- boyfriend left her.  
"I was thinking if you want to come in? After that night you cannot stay alone." Connor leaned against his door and grinned at her. How right he was! He knew her too well now! She wouldn´t really be able to sleep tonight. And she knew no better place to spent the night...

Fin


End file.
